Messed up packaging horror story

SFG75

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Dec 29, 2004
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Midwest
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So i'm out of gourmet beans and I stop by a great place that serves wonderful coffee and espresso drinks. I order a pound of coffee and the barista handed me the beans....in a paper coffee bag sack that has a fold over top. :shock: :shock: Yes, that will really do wonders in regards to maintaining freshness for a long period of time. :roll: I'm absolutely ravenous in my coffee consumption, so I'm not terribly worried about it, but I can't believe that the owners of this place don't take their coffee passion seriously enough to provide better packaging for their customers.

Any thoughts? :D
 
Well, they serve good coffee, right? And if they're a busy shop and the beans are turned over quickly, freshness probably isn't threatened. Of course, they would not get a "A" for aesthetics!
 
You have just discovered an irony of packaging. NO package will maintain coffee freshness for a long time.
Better quality packaging with greater oxygen and moisture barrier properties, offer some protection to the contents from "overt staling" - that is exposure to moisture, aromas, and oxidation. The packaging can prolong food safety by preventing contamination by elements from outside the package. Roasted coffee will deteriorate inside the package, losing its fresh characteristics - even if un-opened.
Fresh is by definition FRESH - not packaged for a long time.
Treat your coffee like a fresh baked good or produce, and you will discover that fresh tastes best. Consider "fresh baked" and "day old", and compare local farm fresh green beans to canned beans - fresh roasted coffee is the best choice for true "gourmet" taste experience. Since you have ravenous consumption, try buying coffee fresh roasted weekly, grind it yourself to brew and serve immediately - and discover all it has to offer in complexity and richness in the cup.
The cafe likely "serves wonderful coffee and espresso", because their coffee is fresh roasted, fresh ground, properly brewed and served freshly prepared.
If that is the case, then they might consider the bag is only a temporary container (like a bread sack or a cake box). They intend for you to re-purchase coffee from a newly roasted batch within a week or two at the most. They also intend for you to store the coffee in a glass, ceramic or metal container once you arrive home. That said, a glassine or poly lined paper sack is fine for SHORT term storage of a fresh roasted coffee. It also made us think about the fresh roasted coffee concept and cup quality.
Does the coffee from your newly discovered espresso bar taste better than the typical coffee from a more expensive package you purchase at the grocery store? What is the name of this coffee bar, and the coffee you liked?
 
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